Many of us may be aware of Joseph Kony. Many, like myself, have just found out who he is. What started as a documentary film project in 2003 has grown into a worldwide information campaign to educate anyone who will listen about the atrocities carried out by Joseph Kony and others like him. Being a citizen of the United States, I’ve found my allegiances to my country challenged over my lifetime, largely due to foreign policy and the pure protection of personal wealth at the cost of a greater good, I feel in many cases. That I exist in a country that affords me the right to disagree and dissent has become all the more important to me as I grow older. No matter my opinions or convictions, I am able to lead a free life. I’ve always had the desire to do something with that freedom beyond personal benefit but have been lazy as I’ve settled into being centered on my own life and that of the lives of my family.

I’d seen mentions of Kony 2012, but until today, just minutes ago, I didn’t know what they were about. When I saw that the video below lasted 30 minutes, my first reaction was that there’s no way I could take that kind of time out of my seemingly busy day, until I started it.

Maybe it’s because I’d like to think of myself as a decent person, or that I’ve recently become a father, but those thirty minutes have changed me fundamentally. It’s not from guilt, nor the desire to be seen as someone who ‘cares’ but merely because I feel that I have the responsibility as one tiny voice, and am afforded the ability, to share this with anyone who chooses to take the time to see if it will have a similar effect on you. That we exist in a time where the privileged among us can in fact help change the world for those less fortunate with a couple clicks on a keyboard, is amazing. That a project like this can help mobilize a huge number of people willing to do more than that is astounding. As the video states, sharing this information with your friends and loved ones is free. How much further any individual chooses to take it is a choice, and one that we are very lucky to have the ability to make.

Visit the site for more information on how to contact your representatives and further contribute to the Invisible Children Movement here: Kony2012.com

Sorry for the break in the regularly scheduled photo-centric programing, but this is something that we all should be more aware of.

6 thoughts on “*This will change your life.”

I just found out too. I was crying when I saw that video. Can’t believe this has been going on for so many years. You know, I just pressed the reblog button, but I had no idea how it worked… I think I messed it up. I really would like to reblog your article if you don’t mind, because it’s very well written.

Re-blog away! I got an email from you showing a re-blogged link, but it didn’t seem to pull up the full article and had a 404 error message. Feel free to cut and paste, link to it or whatever. I too was remarkably emotional watching that video which I wasn’t expecting and in turn was exactly what urged me to want to post it. No matter how people hear about this and have the ability to choose to see it, is a good thing.

I wish that I were better educated on many situations throughout our world. There are many that we as a global community should be both made aware of, and urged to help facilitate. I become sick to my stomach when I see that the only issues that many first world nations will truly become invested in, are done with economical underpinnings as opposed to pure humanitarian justifications.

Anywhere children are used as a vehicle for war or personal gain is inexcusable, regardless of the scope.